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Have You Locked the Castle Gate?: Home and Small Business Computer Security Review by Charles Ashbacher
Effective security for the non-technical user
Computer security is an area where everyone knows it is important, but almost everyone puts it secondary to the critical functionality. The only times it seems to be critical is after events such as the Nimda or Melissa attacks. I am someone who rarely raises a voice in defense of Microsoft, but even as a monopoly, they must respond to customer desires. And for years, those desires have been for functionality, with only a few people raising the issue of security. Therefore, it can honestly be said that not all of the problems of computer security rest on the expansive shoulders of the group from Redmond.
Now, it appears that everyone from Bill Gates on down to the novice user are beginning to consider computer security to be a far more serious issue. The group targeted by this book is the one on the lower end of the scale. Written for the non-technical user, it is a description of the dangers that lurk in the nether worlds of cyber space and what you can do on your machines to raise the barriers to external penetration. Using only the minimal amount of technical jargon, the authors communicate information on how to do things like change the file sharing settings, alter system permission settings and increase your Internet security. Detailed, clear explanations of software such as virus scanners and firewalls are also given.
The unique feature of the book is the analogy of an individual starting with an individual home and building security fences and solid walls to keep out the wild things that would kill him or his livestock. The story progresses through the development of a town and then a security alliance between several towns. This growing community and the security features that are developed are used as the analogy as the description moves from how to secure an isolated computer to one that is active on the Internet 24/7. The analogy works very well, showing the novice reader where all of the security points fit in as you begin to connect to additional computers.
Viruses and other destructive forms of software survive largely because local users do not perform simple actions to render them inoperable, or reduce their ability to propagate. Therefore, everyone connected to any other computer in any way has a personal and social obligation to do their part in the battle against these forces. In this book, you will learn what the dangers are and how a non-technical person can do their part. Think of it as the cyber equivalent of learning to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.